I've had my eye out for the perfect notebook (for my needs) for literally 20 years. It has sturdy spiral binding, and the rings are small enough that I can write on the backs of pages without making my hand uncomfortable (or rotating the notebook upside down). The cover is sturdy enough to write in the notebook--reliably--without needing a flat surface or other support. The cover has rounded corners so that the sturdy material doesn't jab me if I bump into it in my bag or hold it at an odd angle. The cover art is gorgeous while still having a simple, matte look that complements its surroundings (rather than shouting, "Notice me on the bookstore shelf! Here's a vague affirmation!"). The pages are soft and sturdy; my pen glides well and doesn't bleed through. If I linger too long with a highlighter I occasionally see a shadow of that color on the other side, but it's rare and not enough to be distracting once it's been written over. The pages have a softer white than the snowy glare of printer paper, and the lines are just heavy enough to be useful without feeling restrictive. After buying my first, I bought a few more so that I could use those for the purposes that had been scattered at random on whatever paper was handy. Now I know exactly where to find an idea I had in a given category without flipping through multiple notebooks and searching for hastily written scratch paper. I personally ended up numbering the odd pages and creating a few sections with post-its, but the structure is perfectly personalized and flexible for what I need. In the section with frequently updated task lists, I can move the relevant post-it to the page currently in use without having to fuss with clipping something in and out, and I left room at the front to note the page number where I referenced something I know will be important later. And I can use a totally different system (or none at all) in the other notebooks! I don't have to adapt pages that were formatted for diary entries or meditative reflections (which I don't say with scorn, just exhaustion). I know that my needs aren't universal, which is part of why I went into so much detail. For folks with similar needs: I can't recommend this notebook highly enough.